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editor's note

Tanya Chaitanya (Editor Femina India)

For every doubting Thomas who tells you women can’t scale mountains, wrestle in the ring, endure physical hardship, your comeback should be a simple hashtag:#StandStrong.
There’s no bigger retaliation than success, they say. So show your calibre to these detractors or anybody who believes that we, as women, lack the potential to be physically as fit as men by being just that. Not to say that it will be an easy process.
The conditioning that we are not at par physically starts early. From the time we are offered a hand to bring down the cookie jar to when we are told not to lift too heavy a weight; when the sports selectors in schools bypass promising girl children or when the male friends refuse to count us in in any serious hiking plans—that feeling of being physically less is ingrained right from the beginning.
So how is it that we witness sportswomen like Mary Kom packing a punch in the arena or a badminton champ like PV Sindhu physically pushing herself to the limits? Or the fact that celebs like Jacqueline Fernandez, Taapsee Pannu, Katrina Kaif swear by their fitness routine and are known to train for longer hours than their male counterparts?
Then again look beyond these superwomen. Look around you. There are regular women storming into male bastions, physically-challenging professions and pursuits, and coming out triumphant. This new-found confidence comes with taking care of yourself, being cognizant of the fact that our body needs to be given TLC, from the right diet and nutrition to exercise and care to help us stand strong.
This is when I raise a toast: Here’s to strong women. May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them!

Planning a fun wedding

Let’s face it. Often at weddings, while the bride, the groom and the immediate family are busy being a part of rituals, the guests are left to smile and make polite conversation with each other. This is why, regardless of the type of wedding and your budget, if you want to make your D-Day memorable, having the right entertainment is a must. Indian weddings are no longer only about the pheras and the feast. Entertainment has become a key element, adding interest and variety and playing a decisive role in making a wedding memorable.

Varsha Dugar, a Mumbai-based journalist who recently tied the knot, had a wedding spread over eight days, attended by over 100 guests. “I had commissioned an agency to look into the entertainment just to keep the interest and enthusiasm levels of the guests from flagging. And it was worth it,” says Varsha. “The agency arranged an itinerary with a different theme for each day. For example, for the sangeet, a special choreographer was hired to recreate the carnivalesque mood with a flavour of Bollywood.”

Bollywood always rocks“If you want your guests entertained, make sure there is a healthy dose of filmy flavour thrown in, whether it is through music or dance or even a skit that your family enacts,” says Sushil Pradhan, owner of Mumbai-based events management firm Violet Life. “Bollywood weddings have great recall value. Also, every one references Bollywood, especially movies like Hum Aapke Hain Koun...? when it comes to weddings and the myriad functions associated with it,” says Sushil. “People want to look the part and play the part of the bride and bridegroom. On D-Day, the bride wants to be a princess and the groom, the knight in shining armour—mostly inspired by Bollywood rom coms. That is why certain ceremonies like joota chupai are a huge part of weddings—even south Indian weddings, where this is not a custom, now,” he explains.

Let the music playWeddings are incomplete without music. After all, we are a country that loves its band baaja. “DJs are a quintessential part of weddings now,” agrees Kaustubh Rane, a celebrity wedding planner and the creative director of Mumbai-based event management company Good Luck Weddings. “Contemporary, popular Bollywood hits and eminent DJs like Aqueel, Gaurav and Akhtar are in great demand at weddings,” he says. But don’t restrict yourself to DJs. Live gigs with your local band can work well too. In fact, a local well-known band will actually add to the mood of the occasion. “I plan to invite a popular local band to my cocktail soiree. Live music bands, especially, can add life to any wedding,” says Aurangabad-based fashion designer Chetna Shetty, who is all set to tie the knot.

Spin a taleEver wondered why everyone dresses up and has their best foot forward at weddings? It’s because chances are your wedding venue might be a common meeting ground for your single friends and relatives. No wonder then that there is always an atmosphere of anticipation at weddings. Make the most of this situation by calling a fortune teller to read people’s future at your wedding. Take your pick from astrologers, palmists, tarot card readers, vastu experts or tea leaf readers. You could introduce a little humour by inviting caricature artists to one of your functions. Another idea that has gained popularity this season is renting a photo booth. Aside from capturing priceless moments during your wedding, your guests can take the pictures home as souvenirs. Photo booths are always a hit because guests can experiment with their poses, be wacky and funny inside the booth and interact with other guests. “The options are limitless and the the events can be made to fit your budget, time and location,” asserts Sushil.

Starry nightsWith so many wedding-based movies, not surprisingly, Bollywood is always an underlying theme at any Indian wedding. If you want to leave a lasting impression on your guests, invite a Bollywood artiste, musician or singer to your wedding. The presence of singers who keep the guests entertained by belting out popular numbers can make the evening memorable for guests. For the ethnic, traditional touch, folk singers are a good option. You can also hire dance troupes specific to your theme; find out if they will perform as well as teach you and your guests to bust a move or two. “If your budget permits, arrange with your wedding planner to have a Bollywood artiste or singer to add that extra dose of glamour,” says Kaustubh. Artistes who have had popular hits in the year are in demand at weddings. Bigger budgets can even make way for performances from stars.

Destination weddings and themes Destination weddings are very popular and make for a fairy-tale beginning to your new life. So incorporating events themed in accordance with the destination are an excellent way to rev up the entertainment quotient. An interesting idea would be to enhance the experience by adding regional themes, cuisines, colours and attires. “Depending on where the wedding is, you can arrange fun activities for guests, from a trip to the flea market in Goa to palaces and forts in Rajasthan, to a trip on the backwaters of Kerala,” adds Sushil. Alternating between day and night functions will ensure that there is a break in the pattern of entertainment in store for them, and your guests get adequate sleep in between. Destination-themed weddings are a rage right now. “For our wedding, the theme was Venice. We had gondolas, artists dressed as gondoliers serenading the guests, who were given Venetian masks. The crowd was thrilled,” says Anita Saraf, who tied the knot in November 2015.

So go out there, think differently and add an element of surprise. After all, a wedding is a dream...make it come true!